"The first of the name Gannaway came from Genoa in The Kingdom of Italy coming from a family of merchants descended from the noble families de Medici and others in that kingdom. As I have heard, the first was a dark man of Spanish and Italian blood, his father a de Genova and mother Andalusian, where the merchants traded. The merchants did business in Spain, England, and Holland and many were likewise commanders of ships. They in their best days were politicians but sunk to merchants to preserve their lives from their enemies in the said kingdom." ~ Marmaduke Gannaway (1650 - ? ), written in 1700. Copy on file in the Virginia State Library